The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) have hit back at politicians and housing and homeless pressure groups who are openly calling for rent controls in the UK’s private sector by claiming that private sector rents are falling in real terms following analysis of the […]

RLA Hit Back At Rent Control Calls

Rent Controls Are Not The Answer
To The UK Housing Shortage

The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) have hit back at politicians and housing and homeless pressure groups who are openly calling for rent controls in the UK’s private sector by claiming that private sector rents are falling in real terms following analysis of the official English Housing Survey (EHS).

The English Housing Survey (EHS) results are taken from a continuous survey conducted by the Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG) and show that average private sector rents increased by just £10 from £153 to £163 (GBP) per week in 2014, representing a rise of 6.5%.

In contrast, average weekly rents in the UK’s social sector increased by more, with weekly rental prices increasing 25.4%, rising by £18 from £71 to £89 (GBP).

Following fresh warnings from the National Fraud Authority about the rising level of mortgage fraud in the UK, lenders want more done to protect their interests.

Mortgage fraud was a widespread problem before the financial meltdown and collapse of the property market back in 2007/8 due to the availability […]

Avoid Committing Mortgage Fraud

How To Guard Against Mortgage Fraud

Following fresh warnings from the National Fraud Authority about the rising level of mortgage fraud in the UK, lenders want more done to protect their interests.

Mortgage fraud was a widespread problem before the financial meltdown and collapse of the property market back in 2007/8 due to the availability of self- certification mortgages with buyers, brokers and mortgage advisers able to ‘self-declare’ earnings with little, if any, proof required by an industry too busy to carry out proper rules and checks on applicants.

Mortgage fraud costs the industry around £1 Billion (GBP) a year, leading the Financial Conduct Authority to want to instruct mortgage lenders to better acquaint themselves with the solicitors they work with.

The new stricter mortgage rules introduced in the Mortgage Market Review in April 2014 are intended to reduce the number of people who attempt to make false claims and self-certification mortgages are now a thing of the past.

However, this won’t stop mortgage fraud or prevent homeowners and property investors from being a victim of identity or registration fraud.

Would be residential property buyers are dismayed about the change of the rules on residential mortgages, with strict lending criteria tightened following the introduction of the Mortgage Market Review (MMR).

Since 26th April 2014, mortgage lenders have been required to carry out much more detailed checks of […]

Mortgage Market Review Already Causing Delays For Borrowers

Mortgage Market Review Already Causing Delays For Borrowers

Would be residential property buyers are dismayed about the change of the rules on residential mortgages, with strict lending criteria tightened following the introduction of the Mortgage Market Review (MMR).

Since 26th April 2014, mortgage lenders have been required to carry out much more detailed checks of a borrower’s financial situation to be sure that they can truly afford to purchase and continue to afford the property, both now and in the future.

The introduction of the MMR is supposed to help regulate the residential property purchase market and does not yet apply to buy to let mortgages, but that could happen in time.

65,500 property purchases were approved by mortgage lenders in March 2014, showing the second successive monthly drop in the number of property transactions as mainstream mortgage lenders implement stricter rules which will be rolled out fully at the end of April 2014.

The figures for […]

Mortgage Market Review Regulations Will Slow Property Transactions

New Mortgage Rules Will Slow Down
UK Property Transactions

65,500 property purchases were approved by mortgage lenders in March 2014, showing the second successive monthly drop in the number of property transactions as mainstream mortgage lenders implement stricter rules which will be rolled out fully at the end of April 2014.

The figures for March were 7% lower than the 70,309 mortgage approvals recorded in February 2014.

The recent falls in the number of mortgage approvals are a stark contrast to the 11 months of continuous improvements which saw average monthly lending levels increase from 52,537 to 76,753 between February 2013 and January 2014.

The recent changes in the dynamics of the UK property market are forcing a number of mortgage lenders and property investment specialists to advise clients how they can better protect themselves.

The Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, has claimed that the BoE […]

Interest Rate Rises Could Stall UK Rental Property Market

Interest Rate Rises Could Decimate
UK Rental Property Market

The recent changes in the dynamics of the UK property market are forcing a number of mortgage lenders and property investment specialists to advise clients how they can better protect themselves.

The Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, has claimed that the BoE has no immediate plans to increase the base interest rate, currently remaining at the 0.5% record low, however this situation could change within the next twelve months.

The UK property market remains in a fairly delicate state and affordable residential properties are being bought with amazing speed, as the UK economy continues to improve but property prices are predicted to rise considerably over the next few months.

Published UK Property Data For 2014 Suggests A Record Start To The Year

Confirmation that the UK’s residential property market has returned to health is the first data from Rightmove covering 2014 which suggests that the year ahead looks good for property!

The Rightmove House Price Index (HPI) of 2014 shows that property asking […]

Published UK Property Data For 2014 Suggests A Record Start To The Year

Published UK Property Data For 2014 Suggests
A Record Start To The Year

Confirmation that the UK’s residential property market has returned to health is the first data from Rightmove covering 2014 which suggests that the year ahead looks good for property!

The Rightmove House Price Index (HPI) of 2014 shows that property asking prices increased by 1% in January.

Property prices are traditionally subdued in the first month of the year, prices increased just 0.2% in January 2013 and have usually fallen by an average of 0.2% in the month of January over the last decade.

The number of properties coming to market and activity is also up as both estate agents and property vendors look to cash in on the increased confidence in the UK property market.

Year on year property asking prices are up 6.3%, the highest annual rate of increase since November 2007, before the onset of the UK’s credit crunch.

According to the latest survey by specialist house share website, Spareroom.co.uk, 42% of UK private rented sector landlords expect to increase rental prices over the next 12 months and of those some 26% are planning to increase rents by more than 3%, which is significantly higher […]

UK PRS Landlords Expect Tenant Demand To Increase

42% Of UK PRS Landlords Plan 2014 Rent Increases

According to the latest survey by specialist house share website, Spareroom.co.uk, 42% of UK private rented sector landlords expect to increase rental prices over the next 12 months and of those some 26% are planning to increase rents by more than 3%, which is significantly higher than inflation.

In their latest Rental Index, Spareroom revealed the average cost of a double bedroom in a shared house increased by 4.5% in the final quarter of 2013, reaching a new average of £507 (GBP) per calendar month.

Room rents in London also saw a rise in prices, with an increase of 2% over the same time frame, meaning the average cost of a double room in a shared house in the nation’s capital is now at an average cost of £676 (GBP) per calendar month.

Whilst some landlords plan to increase rental prices, 58% of Spareroom’s Rental Index respondents stated that they will not be raising rents and 5% of UK PRS landlords claimed that they intend to reduce rents during 2014.

The British Bankers Association (BBA) is a governing body that represents all the banks that are currently participating in the scheme including those who are planning to participate in it in the future, has called for Government clarification on the proposed exit strategy from the Help-To-Buy scheme, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph.The news comes just 2 weeks before the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne’s Autumn Statement on 5th December.

In a submission to HM Treasury, the BBA said, “Some members of the BBA are participating in the Government’s Help-To-Buy scheme, but further clarification is needed on exit strategies.”

Mortgage applications worth £365 Million (GBP) have been received since the second phase of the Help-To-Buy scheme was launched on 1st October 2013, to help aspiring home buyers get a foot on the property ladder.

The Royal Bank of Scotland, NatWest, Halifax and Bank of Scotland started offering residential mortgages under the umbrella of the Help-To-Buy scheme last month and mortgage lenders representing most of the UK mortgage market have confirmed they will eventually come on board, in order to capture a share of the market.

The Government are very happy to be underwriting Help-To-Buy mortgages because they are listed as a second charge on the mortgage, increasing the Governments property assets, allowing them to borrow money against their portion of the residential properties purchased under the Help-To-Buy scheme.

At least property investors enter the property market with an exit strategy in mind, but the Government have yet to reveal how they intend to exit from the property market when the scheme ends. No wonder mortgage companies are worried!

Over 600,000 residential properties are eligible for the £12 Billion (GBP) scheme, while Zoopla says buyers will still need average £10,000 (GBP) deposit

More than 600,000 residential properties on the market are eligible for inclusion in the £12 Billion (GBP) second phase of the Help-To-Buy scheme, according to the latest in a series of surveys leading to predictions that UK mortgage lenders will be inundated due to the expected demand for the government-backed mortgages.

Details of the 95% mortgages, which are available to existing property owners as well as first-time buyers, are to be unveiled by Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, with some banks expected to invite loan applications within hours of the announcement expected next week.

The second phase of the Government’s flagship scheme to allow more first-time buyers and second steppers, wider access to the UK’s residential property market has already been brought forward by three months, with high street bank Santander claiming that up to 1.7 million people want to use the scheme.

The Help-To-Buy scheme will cover existing residential properties as well as new-build properties, but as yet there are no plans to allow Buy-To-Let property investors use the scheme.

Various residential property indices published by banks and mortgage lenders have shown that UK house prices have been increasing for some months, however the latest survey from Rightmove shows that property asking prices have actually declined over the summer although it is predicting an autumn surge in uk property prices.

The Rightmove report says that […]

Autumn Surge In UK Property Prices Predicted

Various residential property indices published by banks and mortgage lenders have shown that UK house prices have been increasing for some months, however the latest survey from Rightmove shows that property asking prices have actually declined over the summer although it is predicting an autumn surge in uk property prices.

The Rightmove report says that there was a summer slowdown in residential property prices as discretionary sellers were distracted by the heat-wave and have been waiting to market their properties.

Those property vendors who were unwilling to wait had priced properties more aggressively and asked an average of £3,704 (GBP) equivalent to 1.5% less for their property in August compared with the previous month’s asking prices.

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